UK universities risk closing, USA News: Ten UK universities face losing more than a third of their UK-based students under government plans to restrict access to student loans, which experts warn could put them at risk of going bust. Ministers are expected to lay out plans within weeks that would limit loans to those with a pass in GCSE English, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
A forthcoming consultation would leave the door open to GCSE-equivalent qualifications, but its scope has yet to be determined. The measures are intended to crack down on a rise in underqualified students on poor-quality degrees. However, universities called it a “blunt instrument” that would reduce opportunities for students with SEND or from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Data from the Higher Education Statistics Authority (HESA) shows that one in 12 undergraduates (31,800) starting full-time courses last year had no formal qualifications, including GCSEs, up from one in 62 a decade earlier. Analysis found that more than a third of UK-based undergraduate students accepted at 10 universities in 2024-25 had no GCSEs or formal qualifications and were from England, where the measures are set to be implemented.
Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute think-tank, stated that providers heavily reliant on students with no qualifications could close, cut courses, or downsize under the proposed plans. Ravensbourne University in London recorded the highest proportion of students without GCSEs at 72 percent, followed by Bath Spa University at 64 percent and Leeds Trinity University at 58 percent.
Representatives for Ravensbourne University emphasized their commitment to widening participation, stating that traditional qualifications do not always reflect potential. Professor Georgina Andrews, vice-chancellor of Bath Spa University, warned against using student loan funding restrictions as a blunt instrument to create unnecessary barriers to opportunity and social mobility. Other institutions with high proportions of students without GCSEs include Arts University Plymouth, the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and Birmingham Newman University.
Private higher education providers, including franchised entities like Global Banking School where 57 percent of the intake had no GCSEs, would also be affected. Iain Mansfield, a former government policy adviser, supported the GCSE English requirement as a necessary baseline, noting that the government loans more than £21bn per year to students while losing up to £7.3bn annually. The Department for Education confirmed its planned consultation will examine a range of options for a minimum English language requirement for prospective undergraduates accessing student loans.
